A Bill under siege

Mar 15, 2014 Editorial

What is really the issue with the modifications to the Anti-money Laundering and Countering Financial Terrorism Bill? This Bill has been languishing in Guyana for a long time, so long that the political opposition concluded that there was no rush to get it implemented. Indeed there was a time when this Bill remained with the government. The excuse was that preparations were underway for the general elections of 2011.
There are some in the society who feel that the parliamentary opposition parties want to hold the government to ransom for certain concessions. The government has said as much although the opposition parties are denying this fact. But how could one explain the condition imposed by the Alliance For Change that it will only support the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financial Terrorism Bill if the government gives it the Public Procurement Commission?
Then when one looks at A Partnership for National Unity, which for reasons best known to that party, stalled work on the passage of the Bill one can only conclude that there was a deliberate plan to ensure that deadlines were not reached.
Having consigned the Bill to the Special Select Committee of the parliament, APNU then found ways of stalling the discussion. The government accused it of failing to submit the recommendations that it said were necessary for a strong Bill. These recommendations came months after the first deadline passed.
Now we hear that the other leaders of the Caribbean Community and Common Market are concerned that Guyana has not yet passed this piece of legislation.
Their concern rests in the fact that they would have to ignore this country in their trading patterns but the very spirit that formed Caricom precludes any country from excluding another member from any trade or other negotiations.
But the conditions that would prevail if Guyana enters the realm of a blacklisted country would place the country in a position where the very unifying conditions that bind Caricom countries would not apply. In addition, the country would be subjected to a series of hardships. It would not be allowed to transfer money to foreign sources; it would not be allowed to receive remittances; payments for imports would be so delayed that pretty soon even the imports would dry up.
Is it that the parliamentary opposition wants to hurt the government and by extension, the country? One thinks not. Instead, one believes that there is a lot of distrust of the government, something that dates back to years of dealings with each other. On this occasion when the anti-money laundering Bill needed almost immediate passage, President Ramotar was prepared to enter into an agreement with the opposition.
By his own admission, President Ramotar said that he promised both orally and in writing to give the opposition what amendments it was seeking. But the opposition claims that it had been given similar guarantees in the past only to sit back and see these broken. They pointed to the agreements reached between the then President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte and between President Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Robert Corbin.
One particular agreement dealt with the liberalization of the airwaves. That fell through the floor. Indeed there was the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting which was to ensure that there was no abuse of the media landscape. This was observed in the breach. The government refused to sanction those under its control for breaches.
In the end, just before he left office Jagdeo liberalized the airwaves in a manner that drew criticisms across the country and even further afield. The government promised to make certain disclosures, for example to let the nation know about the special investor in the Marriott Hotel project. This has not been done.
These factors must have influenced the reaction of the opposition to President Ramotar’s promise. But the bottom line is that the anti-money laundering Bill is being held hostage to the extent that President Ramotar is accusing the very opposition of blackmail politics.
Whenever the dust settles the Bill must be passed; but for now the country feels threatened.

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A Bill under siege

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A Bill under siege

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